The Crucifer of Blood (TV 1991)

A beautiful young woman asks Holmes to help her father, a former army captain and hopeless opium addict break free of the curse surrounding a stolen treasure.

Director:

Fraser Clarke Heston

Writers:

Arthur Conan Doyle (novel), Paul Giovanni (play),

Stars:

Charlton Heston, Richard Johnson, Susannah Harker

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Charlton Heston	...	Sherlock Holmes
Richard Johnson	...	Dr. Watson
Susannah Harker	...	Irene St. Claire
Edward Fox	...	Alistair Ross
John Castle	...	Neville St. Claire
Simon Callow	...	Inspector Lestrade
Clive Wood	...	Jonathan Small
James Coyle	...	Birdy Johnson
Kaleem Janjua	...	Durga Dass
Stefan Kalipha	...	Wali Dad
Lloyd McGuire	...	P.C. Hopkins
Kiran Shah	...	Tonga
Sidney Livingstone	...	Mordecai Smith
Roly Lamas	...	Leper

Storyline

Beautiful, young Irne St. Claire enlists Holmes' and Watson's help for her father, a former veteran of the Great Indian Mutiny, who has become a hopeless opium addict. His drug dependence is a direct result of guilt and fear arising from a blood pact of secrecy made during the siege of Agra in 1857 in which he was party to the theft of a maharajah's treasure, murder, and betrayal. When an avaricious co-conspirator dies under mysterious circumstances, St. Clair is certain that the curse will strike him next.

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Plot Keywords:

opium | treasure | curse | year 1857 | detective series | 

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Taglines:

This is one mystery that it NOT elementary, my dear Watson...

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery

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Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

4 November 1991 (USA)

Also Known As:

El crucifijo de sangre

Filming Locations:

Pinewood Studios, Iver Heath, Buckinghamshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Agamemnon Films, British Lion Film Corporation, Lynch Entertainment

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Heston played Holmes in the Los Angeles theatrical version of the play in preparation for the role.

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Quotes

Sherlock Holmes: One big vice in a man leaves no room for smaller ones.
[as Lestrade enters]
Sherlock Holmes: I refer to stupidity.

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Connections

Version of Priklyucheniya Sherloka Kholmsa i doktora Vatsona: Sokrovishcha Agry (1983)

User Reviews

The Crucifer of Blood

Well made television movie based on the stage play by Paul Giovanni. (His play was based on the Doyle story "The Sign of Four.") Heston and Johnson make a fine Holmes and Watson and the direction by Fraser Heston, Charlton's son is well paced and timed for all the Sherlockians out there. Callow turns in a fine Inspector Lestrade.